i picked up some cordovan polish and it's covered up the gouge beautifully. there is still a small indent there, but the colour match is good.

other questions
- how often am i going to have to touch up the gouge? does the pigments from the polish eventually work into the leather over time?
- does it make sense to polish these (or any shoes, for that matter) when new for some extra protection?
- does anyone use the red wing suggested mink oil for waterproof leather?
- if not mink oil then cream polish? and why one or the other?

I just got my Black Cherry GTs in the other day. I'm planning on using the conditioner that they recommend and not polishing them. I really want them to get that distressed look. I think it would suit the style of boot better.

For what I'm after, is simple leather conditioner the best or should I be using something else?

Interesting quote from sufu. I wonder to what degree this is true, and if so, why do they sell so many leather products that are oil based?

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregNYC

^This is actually one of the easier maintanence questions to come across the board. I am firmly within the Sno Seal or beeswax camp. I put it on my RW 875s and I don't think they'll ever dry out unless I were stationed in Iraq till post-apocalyptic times. It works on smooth, polished, oil-tanned or even suede (though it flattens the nap). I like Sno Seal because: -It's old-skool (1933), natural, and non-acidic. The ancient Egyptians used beeswax to protect leather. -Fats, greases and oils contain acid. Acid corrodes leather over the years, and disintegrates the stitching at the seams. -Fats, oils and greases actually dry the surface of the leather and yet soak in to the lower layers and make it spongy. You'll see, when you have to re-apply more often than you thought. Sno Seal sticks to the surface much much much longer and maintains the integrity of the leather and its consistency. -Although beeswax doesn't *soften* leather like oils do (that acid again?), it does *prevent stiffening and drying* of leather. It requires fewer coats because of longer time between drying than any other substance I've ever used. -It doesn't smell bad or funky like mink oil. -it is also one of the best substances also for water-"proofing" leather -The U.S. Boy Scouts recommend it! Great article here. http://tinyurl.com/6ek86z There's one drawback I can think of - it's very hard to apply. Always use thin coats! One thin coat was enough for my 875s for 2 years now! You can (i) warm the boots sitting on a cookie sheet in the oven (in a pre-heated oven to just over 120 degrees, let them sit for 5-10 minutes). Check every few minutes to see how the sole is doing. Don't leave the oven unattended, and don't use a microwave. Or, apply a hair dryer to the leather. Heating the leather is good because it temporarily opens the pores, so that more wax is absorbed. and/or (ii) Heat the Sno Seal to liquefy it. And then apply a THIN coat and rub way in. Good luck!

Also, my GTs came with a little tag about how to care for them and it recommended mink oil for conditioning. Now I'm kind of regretting I used it. I actually don't want my boots to be super soft, and I didn't realize until now that mink oil has such a softening effect, and even darkens leather. I guess this is something I had to learn the hard way. Oh well.

Another question. I'm going to be using these boots primarily as riding boots. The left boot is going to be pretty marked up near the toe cap area from my shifter. Any ideas on how to keep that area from looking too beat up?

I don't know if these would be good for riding. I don't ride, but I do know that these boots slip like hell if the center of the sole, where the leather is not covered by rubber, makes contact with a corner like on a stair. Also, they will scuff easily.

I've rode in my frye dress boots before with no problems and they are an entirely leather sole. I just stopped riding in them since I had to polish them so often. I figured that I would get these since I plan on letting them get more beat up looking anyways. I definately don't mind scuffs and scratches. I just want to take good care of the leather so the boots will last me for a while. I would actually prefer them to get beat up and distressed looking. I think it adds character.

If they don't turn out to be a good riding boot, I'll just use them for normal wear. Not a huge loss since they are wicked boots regardless.

^^ don't overthink it. the meltonian cordovan cream is fine, I use anything from Meltonian burgundy to Kiwi cordovan to kiwi black on my black cherry GTs with no ill effect. My favorite polish to use on dark burgundy/oxblood shoes (like the Black cherry) is black...gives the color a nice antiqued patina over time without ever turning the shoes "black". Just like I use navy polish on dark brown shoes